NEW YORK RED BULLS

December 27, 2012RARING TO GOEx-Red Bull Richards joins up with new Burnley teammates

Dane Richards joined up with his new Burnley teammates last week.
Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images

BURNLEY, England — Never let it be said that Jamaican international midfielder Dane Richards doesn’t come prepared.

Richards joined the English npower Championship side on Dec. 20 — 12 days prior to when his transfer would become official when the winter window opens on Tuesday, Jan. 1.

He agreed to join Burnley in August from the Vancouver Whitecaps after his Major League Soccer season had finished. Richards joined Vancouver as he was traded by the Red Bulls for midfielder-forward Sebastien Le Toux.

“He is coming in to meet and greet to get a feel of the place,” Burnley manager Sean Dyche said on the team’s website. “He is obviously jet-lagged and he will be integrated slowly but surely.

“It’s a big change for him in a lot of ways, so it will have to be slowly but surely as he will have to be brought up to speed with what we have been doing.”

Dyche isn’t expected to rush the 28-year-old Jamaican into action. After Saturday’s home game against Leicester City, the Clarets visit Sheffield Wednesday on Jan. 1 and Barnsley on Saturday, Jan. 5. They next play at home against Crystal Palace on Saturday, Jan. 12.

Burnley is in 13th place out of 24 teams in the Championship with a 9-9-6 and 33 points.